Google Display Ads Move to Demand Gen

Google is retiring the standalone Display campaign. The Google Display Network is not going away, but from now on it will be sold inside Demand Gen, the campaign type that already covers YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps. A migration tool started rolling out in June 2026. Google's help centre says that "coming later", new Display campaigns can only be created within Demand Gen, and any remaining Display campaigns will be migrated automatically, without any action from the advertiser.

Google has not published a firm date for either step. That is exactly why now is the right time to act. If you migrate yourself, you choose the moment, the settings and the budget. If you wait, Google makes those choices for you.

What is actually changing

According to Google's own documentation, three things happen in sequence:

• Now (since June 2026): eligible advertisers can move existing Display campaigns to Demand Gen with a migration tool in their account. The rollout is phased, so not every account sees it at the same time.
• Later: new Display campaigns can only be created inside Demand Gen. Existing Display campaigns stay editable until they are migrated.
• Later still: any remaining eligible Display campaigns are migrated automatically.

The inventory stays the same. Google describes it as the same network of more than 2 million sites and apps. What changes is the campaign type around it: its bidding options, its creative formats and its controls.

Why this matters more in Monaco

In most markets, Display is a reach channel. In Monaco it is usually something narrower: remarketing to people who have already visited a property listing, a yacht charter page or a boutique, and light awareness targeted at Monaco and the nearby Riviera. Budgets are modest and conversion volumes are low, because a single client can be worth a year of clicks.

That profile is exactly where the migration bites. Demand Gen is built around automated bidding, and automated bidding needs conversion data. A Monaco account that records five enquiries a month does not give Google much to learn from. Many small local accounts have kept Display running on manual bidding for that reason, and that option is about to disappear.

What you lose and what you gain

Google publishes a feature comparison. The points that matter most for local advertisers:

• Manual CPC is not available in Demand Gen. Neither are viewable impression (vCPM) bidding or pay-for-conversions. The available strategies are Maximise conversions, Maximise conversion value, target CPA, target ROAS, Maximise clicks and target CPC.
• HTML5 ads are listed as "coming soon" for the Display Network in Demand Gen. If your campaigns rely on HTML5 banners, check before migrating.
• New inventory: one campaign can now reach Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps, with channel controls to choose which ones.
• New formats: carousel ads, product feeds, a wider range of video ads and Google's generative image tools.
• Lookalike segments, which replace the old Similar Audiences.

For a luxury brand, the gain is real: one campaign can show the same visual story on YouTube and on premium sites. The risk is just as real. Wider reach by default can mean less control over where your brand appears.

How to migrate on your own terms

Google's recommended route is the migration tool. It keeps up to 42 days of performance history, which Google says cuts the learning period to about one or two days. A few details from the help centre are worth knowing before you click:

1. Migration is one-way. A migrated campaign cannot be turned back into a Display campaign.
2. The new campaign is renamed "[original name] #2", and the Display Network is switched on by default. You can add YouTube, Gmail or other channels afterwards.
3. The daily budget resets on migration day. Spend from earlier that day is not counted, so the campaign may overspend or underspend in the first 24 hours. Migrate early in the morning, or on a quiet day.
4. Don't migrate during a lift study. Google says a converted campaign is not automatically linked to a running conversion-lift study.
5. Logos and business names are pre-filled. If your Display ads had no logo, Google creates a placeholder. Replace it with your real brand assets straight away.

Before you start, export your current settings: placement exclusions, audience lists, bid strategy, device and location settings. Then compare them line by line after migration. For brands that care where they appear, placement exclusions are the setting to check first.

Fix the foundations before the switch

If your Display campaigns run on manual CPC, decide now what replaces it. For low-volume Monaco accounts, two practical options are:

• Target CPC or Maximise clicks as a stepping stone, if conversion tracking is weak or volumes are tiny.
• Better conversion tracking, so that automated bidding has something to learn from. Count enquiry forms, click-to-call, WhatsApp clicks and booking requests, not just purchases.

Remarketing audiences also depend on how your website collects data. In Monaco, that means Law No. 1.565 of 3 December 2024 and the APDP, not the EU's GDPR, even though the principles are similar. If your cookie banner and tags are not set up properly, your audience lists will shrink, and Demand Gen will have less to work with. If you are unsure how your setup measures up, take professional advice. Our APDP data protection service can help you review it.

Finally, check where the clicks land. Demand Gen sends visual, mobile-first traffic. A slow page or a generic homepage wastes it. A dedicated landing page for each campaign usually does more for results than any bidding setting.

A sensible timeline

• This month: check whether the migration tool is available in your account, and export your Display settings.
• Before the end of the year: fix conversion tracking and decide which bid strategy will replace manual CPC.
• Early 2027: migrate one campaign, watch it for two weeks, then move the rest, before Google does it automatically.

Google may still adjust the details or the timing, so check the official Google Ads help centre before making changes.

If you would like an expert to review your account and handle the migration, our Google Ads management team works with Monaco businesses every day. Get in touch and we'll look at your campaigns with you.